Muscle strength increasing tool

ABSTRACT

To provide a muscle strength increasing device for a pressure muscle training method that can easily be tied around a region to be compressed.  
     A muscle strength increasing device has a main belt  10  and a tie-down belt  20.  A ring  11 A and a loop-shaped belt  12 A are fastened to the one end and the other end, respectively, of the main belt  10.  The main belt  10  and the tie-down belt  20  are provided with two-dimensional fasteners  16, 21  for fastening. In order to tie the muscle strength increasing device around the region to be compressed, the region to be compressed is first passed through a loop of the main belt  10  that is formed by passing one end of the main belt  10  through the belt  12 A. Then, the end of the tie-down belt  20  is passed through the ring  11 A and turned right back. Thereafter, the tie-down belt  20  is pulled and the tie-down belt  20  is fastened to the main belt  10.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a muscle strength increasing deviceused for increasing muscle strength. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to a muscle strength increasing device suitable for apressure muscle training method that allows healthy people as well aspeople having abnormalities of motor ability to increase their musclestrength in an effective manner.

BACKGROUND ART

The present inventor has conducted studies for some time in order towork out a muscle training method for easy, safe, and effective muscledevelopment, and put together the accomplishments into a patentapplication having Japanese Patent Application No. 5-313949, which hasbeen granted as Japanese Patent No. 2670421.

The muscle training method according to the subject patent, whichinvolves the application of pressure, is a distinctive non-conventionalone called a “Pressure Muscle Training Method”. This muscle trainingmethod is based on the following theoretical concept.

Muscles are composed of slow-twitch muscle fibers and fast-twitch musclefibers. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are limited in their potential forgrowth. Accordingly, it is necessary to recruit fast-twitch musclefibers of the slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers in order to developmuscles. Recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibers causes lactic acidbuildup in the muscles, which triggers secretion of growth hormone fromthe pituitary. The growth hormone has effects of, for example, promotingmuscle growth and shedding body fat. This means that recruitment offast-twitch muscle fibers results in development of fast-twitch musclefibers and, in turn, the entire muscles.

Slow-twitch muscle fibers and fast-twitch muscle fibers are differentfrom each other in terms of the following. Slow-twitch muscle fibers useoxygen for energy and are recruited for low-intensity activities.Fast-twitch muscle fibers provide for activities regardless of whetheror not oxygen is present. They are recruited after the slow-twitchmuscle fibers for highly intense, activities. Therefore, it is necessaryto cause the earlier activated slow-twitch muscle fibers to be exhaustedsoon in order to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Conventional muscle strength increasing methods use heavy exerciseswith, for example, a barbell to cause the slow-twitch muscle fibers tobe exhausted first, and then to recruit the fast-twitch muscle fibers.This recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers requires a significantamount of exercises, is time-consuming, and tends to increase the burdenon muscles and joints.

Conventional muscle training methods use exercises with, for example, abarbell to cause the slow-twitch muscle fibers to be exhausted first,and then to recruit the fast-twitch muscle fibers. This requires asignificant amount of exercises, is time-consuming, and tends toincrease the burden on muscles and joints.

On the other hand, when a predetermined range of muscles is pressurizedto restrict the blood flow therethrough before muscle exercises, lessoxygen is supplied to these muscles. The slow-twitch muscle fibers,which require oxygen for energy, are thus exhausted in a short period oftime. Muscle exercises with blood-flow restriction by application ofpressure will result in recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fiberswithout needing a large amount of exercises.

In addition, restriction of the blood flow by application of pressuremakes the lactic acid built up in the muscles less likely to be removedfrom the muscles. Thus, the muscle lactic acid level is more likely torise and a much larger amount of growth hormone is secreted, as comparedwith the case where the blood flow is unrestricted.

Based on this theoretical concept, restriction of the muscle blood flowcan provide significant development of the muscles.

The pressure muscle training method according to the aforementionedpatent is premised on the theoretical concept of muscle strengthincrease by the restriction of blood flow. More specifically, acompression force for the blood flow restriction is applied to a rangenear the muscles that you want to develop and closer to the heart, i.e.,a proximal region near those muscles. The compression force iscontrolled to put an appropriate stress attributed to blood flowdecrease on the muscles, thereby causing muscle fatigue. Thus, effectivemuscle development is achieved.

This muscle training method features in muscle development without anyexercises because it involves developing muscles by putting a stressattributed to blood flow decrease on the muscles. In other words, thismuscle training method provides significant effects when applied totraining for old people who do not exercises or rehabilitation forinjuries, for example.

In addition, this muscle training method can compensate for a totalamount of stress that is placed on the muscles by putting a stressattributed to blood flow decrease on the muscles. When combined withsome exercises, the method advantageously reduces an exercise-relatedstress as compared with conventional methods. This advantage bringsabout some effects: the possibility of incurring damages to the jointsor muscles can be reduced and the period of training can be reduced, asa result of decrease in amount of muscle exercises.

The present inventor invented a tight fitting band that restricts theblood flow using a compression force produced by a belt, which isdisclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application No.5-313949, as an implement that can put a stress on muscles byrestricting the blood flow through the muscles, thereby achieving muscledevelopment. The tight fitting band is for compressing a predeterminedregion to be compressed that is defined on at least one of the limbs ofa wearer to restrict the blood flow through the limb while the tightfitting band is wrapped around the region to be compressed, to achievemuscle development.

However, such a tight fitting band also has a challenge to be solved.

That is, the aforementioned tight fitting band is wrapped twice aroundthe region to be compressed during use. When a wearer tries to wrap thebelt around the region to be compressed again after wrapping it once,the belt slips over the region to be compressed and turned around. Totie the belt around the region to be compressed is sometimes not so easywhen being done without someone's help.

In particular, the pressure muscle training method is also suitable forthose having some abnormalities of motor ability If the tight fittingband has a problem of not being able to be tied easily without someone'shelp around the region to be compressed, this may result in preventingwidespread use of the pressure muscle training method.

The present invention is directed to provide a muscle strengthincreasing device that can be easily tied around the region to becompressed without someone's help.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention according to this application, which achieves theaforementioned object, is as follows.

The present invention is a muscle strength increasing device used fordeveloping muscles by applying a predetermined compression pressure to apredetermined region to be compressed that is defined on at least one ofthe limbs of a wearer to restrict the blood flow through the limb. Thismuscle strength increasing device comprises a strip-shaped first bandhaving a first hollow space formed therein at one end thereof; astrip-shaped second band the proximal end of which is connected to theproximal end of said first band, the second band having a second hollowspace formed therein at a position near the end thereof through whichthe end of said first band can be passed; and a strip-shaped third bandthe proximal end of which is connected to the outer surface that isopposed to said region to be compressed when said region to becompressed is passed through a loop formed by said first and secondbands by means of passing the end of said first band through said secondhollow space of the proximal end of said first band, the end of thethird band being formed so that it can pass through said first hollowspace. In addition, at least said first band of said first band and saidsecond band has an air-tight hollow tube along the length thereof inorder to receive a gas from outside, and said first band and said thirdband are configured in such a manner that said third band can beattached to the outer surface (the surface of the first band wrappedaround the region to be compressed that is away from the region to becompressed) of said first band after the end of said third band ispassed through said first hollow space and turned right back.

This muscle strength increasing device can be tied around the region tobe compressed by means of passing the end of the first band through thesecond hollow space formed in the second band to form a loop by thefirst band and the second band, and, in this state, passing the end ofthe third band into the first hollow space formed in the first band,then pulling the end of the third band to reduce the diameter of theaforementioned loop formed by the first band and the second band, andfastening the folded third band to the first band. In this case, themeasure (length) of the loop formed by the first band and the secondband is defined to be slightly larger than the circumferential length ofthe region to be compressed. As a result, the loop formed by the firstband and the second band is not so easily turned around the region to becompressed when the region to be compressed is passed through the loopformed by the first band and the second band. In this state, the musclestrength increasing device can be tied around the region to becompressed only by means of pulling the third band with one hand. Inother words, the muscle strength increasing device can be easily tiedaround the region to be compressed without someone's help because theaforementioned loop formed by the first band and the second band is notso easily turned around the region to be compressed.

Furthermore, this muscle strength increasing device has anotheradvantage. For example, it is difficult to pass the leg with the regionto be compressed through the aforementioned loop that is previouslyformed by the first band and the second band when it is desired to tiethe muscle strength increasing device around the leg of a person who isconfined to bed. This muscle strength increasing device is not providedas a loop from the beginning. Therefore, for example, the first band maybe passed under the region to be compressed and then the loop is formedin the manner as described above, and then the third band may be pulledto tie it around the region to be compressed. In other words, thismuscle strength increasing device can be easily tied around the regionto be compressed even when the pressure muscle training is used for aperson who has some troubles below the waist such as those who areconfined with bed.

The muscle strength increasing device of the present invention isdesigned to compress the region to be compressed by means of introducinga gas into a tube to inflate the tube while it is tied around the regionto be compressed. The tube may be provided across said first band andsaid second band.

The first band, the second band, and the third band are as describedabove. Details thereof are not specifically defined. For example, theymay be made of a stretchable material or not. In addition, all of thefirst band, the second band, and the third band may be made of the samematerial or they may be made of different materials. The width and thelength thereof may be determined appropriately depending on the limbs onwhich the region to be compressed is present (whether it is an arm or aleg) or according to the circumference of the limbs of a person who usesthe pressure muscle training.

The first band, the second band, and the third band of the musclestrength increasing device may be formed separately. Alternatively, twoof them, e.g., said first band and said second band may be formed as anintegral part. In particular, the entire configuration of the musclestrength increasing device may be simplified when the first band and thesecond band are integrated with each other because they have the samefunction of forming the aforementioned loop.

In addition, said first band may be formed into a hollow bag. In thiscase, said tube may be provided within said first band.

Furthermore, when said first band and said second band are formed as anintegral part, each of said first band and said second band may beformed into a hollow bag. Said tube may be provided within at least saidfirst band of said first band and said second band. The tube may beprovided across the inside of said first band and the inside of saidsecond band.

The aforementioned first hollow space and the second hollow space may beformed by any one of appropriate means.

For example, in order to provide the first hollow space and the secondhollow space, a ring, for example made of metal, may be attached to theend (or somewhere near the end) of the first band and the second band.In this case, the space inside the ring represents the first hollowspace or the second hollow space.

By the way, the second hollow space directly faces against the region tobe compressed. Therefore, there is a possibility that a person who usesthe pressure muscle training has a pain when a hard material is used toform the second hollow space. With this respect, it is better not to usea hard material to form the second hollow space. For example, saidsecond hollow space may be formed by providing a loop with a flexible,rope-like or belt-like material at the end of said second band. Theflexibility of such a material should be of the extent that can preventthe person who uses the pressure muscle training from having a pain.Alternatively, the second hollow space may be formed by means of cuttinga slit in the end of the second band. In this case, the second band isselected so that it does not cause a pain to the person who uses thepressure muscle training when it contacts the skin of the person whouses the pressure muscle training. It should be noted that the secondband is expected to be contact with the skin of the person who uses thepressure muscle training. Therefore, the aforementioned conditions aresatisfied as usual.

Details of the tube are not specifically defined as long as it is asdescribed above. For example, it may be made of a stretchable materialor may be made of a non-stretchable material, as long as it hasappropriate air-tightness.

The tube in the muscle strength increasing device of the presentinvention may be designed to automatically inflate in the directionfacing to said region to be compressed when it is filled with a gaswhile said third band is fastened to the outer surface of said firstband. The inflation of the tube against the region to be compressedresults in appropriate compression to the region to be compressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a muscle strength increasing deviceaccording to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main belt included in the musclestrength increasing device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of one end of the main belt included in themuscle strength increasing device shown in FIG. 1, while FIG. 3B is aview showing a modified version of the end of the main belt included inthe muscle strength increasing device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a view showing a clip included in the muscle strengthincreasing device shown in FIG. 1, while FIG. 4B is a view illustratinghow the clip shown in FIG. 4A is to be attached;

FIG. 5A is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an outer fabric of amain belt according to a modified embodiment in which a wire-like pieceis used in place of a limit piece of the muscle strength increasingdevice shown in FIG. 1, while FIG. 5B is a vertical cross-sectional viewof the outer fabric of the main belt;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main belt according to yet anothermodified embodiment in which a wire-like piece is used in place of alimit piece in the muscle strength increasing device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main belt according to anothermodified embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main belt according to anothermodified embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a main belt according to anothermodified embodiment; and

FIGS. 10A to 10E are views illustrating how the muscle strengthincreasing device shown in FIG. 1 is used.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Now, referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a muscle strength increasing deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is across-sectional view of a main belt in the muscle strength increasingdevice.

The muscle strength increasing device comprises a main belt 10 and atie-down belt 20 attached thereto.

The main belt 10 includes a first band and a second band of the presentinvention. It corresponds to an integrated combination of the first bandand the second band connected in series with each other. The longerportion 11 of the main belt 10 extending in one direction from where thetie-down belt 20 is attached corresponds to the first band of thepresent invention, and the shorter portion 12 extending in the oppositedirection from where the tie-down belt 20 is attached corresponds to thesecond band of the present invention.

The main belt 10 is strip-shaped and, as shown in FIG. 2, is formed tobe hollow in this embodiment. In this embodiment, two long strip-shapedpieces of fabric are bound by, for example, stitching or adhering themtogether along the lengthwise edges to form a hollow object having aspace inside it. The main belt 10 has a predetermined stretchability.The aforementioned long strip-shaped pieces of fabric are made of amaterial that allows the main belt 10 to stretch. The length of the mainbelt 10 is equal to or slightly longer than the circumferential lengthof the region to be compressed that is compressed by the muscle strengthincreasing device. The length of the main belt 10 is determinedappropriately according to whether the region to be compressed is an armor a leg or according to the contour of a person who uses the pressuremuscle training. On the other hand, the width of the main belt 10 isdetermined depending on the region to be compressed that is compressedby the muscle strength increasing device, i.e., according to whether theregion to be compressed is an arm or a leg. In general, the width of themain belt 10 is wider for cases where the region to be compressed is aleg than for cases where the region to be compressed is an arm. In theformer case, the width of the main belt 10 may be about 5 to 6 cm. Inthe latter case, the width of the main belt 10 may be about 3 to 4 cm.

The longer portion 11 of the main belt 10 extending in one directionfrom where the tie-down belt 20 is attached has a rectangular ring 11Aat the end thereof. The ring 11A is made of a metal in this embodiment.The ring 11A is attached to the main belt 10 by means of slipping theaforementioned end of the main belt 10 through the ring 11A, turning theend right back and fastening it by, for example, stitching, to a pointslightly away from that end of the main belt 10. The opening in the ring11A corresponds to the first hollow space of the present inventionthrough which the tie-down belt 20 can be slipped.

The shorter portion 12 of the main belt 10 extending in the oppositedirection from where the tie-down belt 20 is attached has a narrow(about 1 cm in this embodiment) belt 12A as shown in FIG. 3A. This belt12A is made of a flexible and stretchable material. The belt 12A isattached to the end of the main belt 10 as a loop with both ends thereofsecured by, for example, stitching to the end of the shorter portion 12of the main belt 10 extending in the opposite direction from where thetie-down belt 20 is attached. The space inside the loop of the belt 12Acorresponds to the second hollow space of the present invention throughwhich the end of the longer portion 11 of the main belt 10 extending inone direction from where the tie-down belt 20 is attached can be passed.

The cross section of the belt 12A is not limited to the illustrated one.It may be a circle. In such a case, the belt 12A is like a rope.

Instead of using the belt 12A as described above, the end of the shorterportion 12 of the main belt 10 extending in the opposite direction fromwhere the tie-down belt 20 is attached may have a cutout slit 12B asshown in FIG. 3B. In such a case, the slit 12B is formed so that the endof the longer portion 11 of the main belt 10 extending in one directionfrom where the tie-down belt 20 is attached can be passed therethrough.The slit 12B in this case corresponds to the second hollow space of thepresent invention as in the case of the space inside the loop of thebelt 12A.

The hollow main belt 10 has a tube 13 therein as shown in FIG. 2. Thetube 13 has air-tightness into which a gas can be introduced fromoutside. The tube 13 is generally equal in length to the main belt 10and runs generally along the entire length of the main belt 10. The tube13 may be made of, for example, a stretchable rubber that can withstanda pneumatic pressure of on the order of 300 mmHg. The tube 13 has aconnection inlet 13A to which one end of a connecting pipe 30, which isa rubber tube, for use in introducing a gas can be connected. Theconnecting pipe 30 is connected to a pump (not shown) at the other endthereof and is used to introduce a gas into the tube 13. In other words,the tube 13 is supplied with a gas through the connecting pipe 30. Thegas introduced into the tube 13 in this embodiment is air.

A connection piece 31 is provided on the connecting pipe 30 in thisembodiment, but is not necessarily so. The connecting pipe 30 can bedivided at the point of the connection piece 31. The connection piece 31has a valve so that the gas cannot escape from the tube 13 even afterthe connecting pipe 30 is divided at the point of the connection piece31. On the other hand, when the connecting pipe 30 is integrated at thepoint of the connection piece 31, the aforementioned valve automaticallyopens to allow the gas from, for example, the aforementioned pump toenter the tube 13.

The tube 13 in this embodiment is not fixed to the main belt 10. It maybe removed through the opening formed in the main belt 10 to expose theconnection inlet 13A. This is for the possible replacement of the tube13 if the tube 13 is broken as well as for the use of a clip 14 shown inFIG. 4A. The clip 14 is for delimiting a range (length) of the tube 13into which the air is allowed to enter. The clip 14 has a shape of ahairpin having two parallel straight segments and another segmentconnecting the one end of these two straight segments with each other.The length of the straight segment of the clip 14 is slightly longerthan the width of the tube 13. The distance between the straightsegments is slightly narrower to the thickness of the tube 13. Whenused, the clip 14 is attached to the tube 13 in the widthwise directionof the tube in such a manner that the clip pinches the tube 13 as shownin FIG. 4B. This can delimit the range into which the gas is introduced(the range inflated by the incoming air) of the tube 13 in the directionalong the length of the tube. With the clip 14 used, the range of thetube 13 into which the gas is introduced is defined only along theportion that is other than the portion where the connection inlet 13A isnot included (the bent portion at the left end of the tube 13 in thecase of FIG. 4B).

The clip 14 provides following advantages. When the tube 13 is longerthan the circumference of the range to be compressed of limbs, one endof the tube 13 is overlapped with the other end when the main belt 10 isfitted around the arm from the other end of the tube 13. Such overlappedportions of the tube 13 produce a gap between the tube 13 and themuscles, which may cause a trouble in that a compression pressure to beapplied to the muscles by the main belt 10 becomes improper. Thus, theclip 14 is attached to the tube 13 at an arbitrary position along thelength of it to restrict the length of the tube 13 that is filled withthe air, thereby avoiding a problem as described above.

The outer section of the main belt 10 (the side opposite to the regionto be compressed, as determined with the main belt 10 being tied aroundthe region to be compressed) has a limit piece 15A therein along theouter contour of the tube 13, as shown in FIG. 2. The limit piece 15A isa plate-like object made of a polypropylene resin that is slightlynarrower than the tube 13 and is generally equal in length to the tube13.

The limit piece 15A is for limiting the direction towards which the tube13 is allowed to inflate to the inward direction of the main belt 10 (tothe side facing to the region to be compressed, as determined with themain belt 10 being tied around the region to be compressed). The musclestrength increasing device can appropriately compress the region to becompressed because the limit piece 15A forces to inflate the tube 13only inwardly.

It should be noted that a wire-like piece 15B as shown in FIG. 5 may beused in place of the limit piece 15A of the main belt 10.

In this case, wire-like pieces 15B having a constant hardness areprovided within the outer fabric of the main belt 10 at a predetermineddistance along the length of the main belt 10 in such a manner that theyare generally in parallel to the widthwise direction of the main belt10, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. This may also provide appropriatecompression of the region to be compressed by the muscle strengthincreasing device.

The aforementioned wire-like piece 15B may be made of a metal or a resinmaterial. The distance between the adjacent wire-like pieces 15B may be,for example, 5 mm to 1 cm. The wire-like pieces 15B shown in FIG. 5 aredescribed as being placed generally parallel to the widthwise directionof the main belt 10 but the wire-like pieces 15B may be any similarpieces that are provided in a direction not parallel to the lengthwisedirection of the main belt 10.

The wire-like pieces 15B are illustrated as being embedded in the mainbelt 10, but they are not limited thereto. They may be provided insidethe main belt 10. In this case, the wire-like pieces 15B may be fixed tothe outside of the tube 13. For example, a plurality of wire-like pieces15B may be placed on the inner surface of the main belt 10 that facesoutside, generally in parallel to the widthwise direction of the mainbelt 10 and may be sealed with a stretchable tape having a surface withan adhesive applied thereto. Likewise, a plurality of wire-like pieces15B may be adhered to the outer surface of the tube 13 with a tapehaving an adhesive applied thereto.

With the wire-like pieces 15B, flexible portions are provided betweenthe adjacent wire-like pieces 15B, unlike the case where the limit piece15A is used. Therefore, the main belt 10 can follow a complexup-and-down surface of the muscles when the main belt 10 is wrappedaround the region to be compressed.

Furthermore, the wire-like piece 15B that is used in the main belt 10 inplace of the limit piece 15A may have a configuration as shown in FIG.6. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an outer portion of the main belt10. The wire-like piece 15B in this case is formed by bending a singlewire-like piece. More specifically, the wire-like piece 15B in this caseis formed by bending a single wire-like piece to put a series of anglesin it and produce segments that are generally parallel to the widthwisedirection of the main belt 10 at a predetermined distance. Therequirement for the wire-like piece 15B is that it is bent to have asegment that is not parallel to the lengthwise direction of the mainbelt 10. For example, a wire-like piece may be bent into a zigzagpattern like a continuous series of “V”s. The wire-like piece 15B may beembedded in the outer portion of the main belt 10 or otherwise may beprovided on the inside of the main belt 10 and the outside of the tube13. The wire-like piece 15B formed by bending a single wire-like piecefacilitates the attachment of the wire-like piece 15B to the main belt10.

In addition, in place of using the limit piece 15A or the wire-likepiece 15B, the tube 13 itself of the main belt 10 may have aconfiguration that allows the tube to inflate to the inward direction asshown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9. The requirement for the tube 13 is that thetube is designed to have a higher stretching rate on the inner side thanon the outer side, and the tube is also designed to inflate more in aninward direction as the tube 13 is filled with air with the main belt 10being wrapped around a region to be compressed on the muscles.

The tube 13 shown in FIG. 7 represents an example of providing differentstretching rates for the inner and outer portions of the tube 13 bychanging the thickness of the tube 13. The tube 13 is made of a rubberand is thinner on the inner portion than the outer portion.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the tube 13 in the main belt 10 may bemade of a combination of different materials to achieve differentstretching rates for the inner and outer portions of the tube 13. Thistube 13 is a combination of two strip-shaped elastic bodies 13a and 13bhaving different stretching rates from each other, bonded along thesides thereof. The inner portion has a higher stretching rate than theouter portion. Accordingly, the tube 13 is inflated more in the inwarddirection as the tube 13 is filled with air with the main belt 10 beingwrapped around the region to be compressed on the muscles.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the tube 13 may be combined with amaterial having a lower stretching rate than the tube 13 to vary thestretching rates of the inner and outer portions of the tube 13. Thetube 13 itself in this case has an equal stretching rate over the wholesurface but a seam tape 13 c having a lower stretching rate than thetube 13 is adhered to the outer surface thereof. This results in thetube 13 being inflated more, in the inward direction as the tube 13 isfilled with air with the main belt 10 wrapped around the region to becompressed on the muscles.

On the outer surface of the main belt 10, a two-dimensional fastener 16may be provided, for example. The two-dimensional fastener 16 is aVelcro tape in this embodiment. The two-dimensional fastener 16 is forattaching the tie-down belt 20 to the main belt 10 as will be describedlater. The fastener may be replaced by any other means as long as theabove is possible.

The tie-down belt 20 corresponds to the third band of the presentinvention. The proximal end thereof is attached to the main belt 10. Thetie-down belt 20 is attached to the main belt 10 by stitching it theretoin this embodiment.

The tie-down belt 20 has a two-dimensional fastener 21 on one surfacethereof, as shown in FIG. 1. The two-dimensional fastener 21 is a Velcrotape in this embodiment. The two-dimensional fastener 21 is for theengagement with the aforementioned two-dimensional fastener 16 providedon the main belt 10. The fastener may be replaced by any other means aslong as the above is possible.

The width of the tie-down belt 20 is slightly narrower than the width ofthe main belt 10 in this embodiment. The length of the tie-down belt 20is determined so that the two-dimensional fastener 21 can be engagedwith the two-dimensional fastener 16 on the main belt 10 after thetie-down belt 20 is slipped through the ring 11A and is turned rightback with a predetermined tension applied to the tie-down belt 20.

Next, how the muscle strength increasing device is used is describedwith reference to FIGS. 10A to 10E.

First, prior to wrapping and tying the muscle strength increasing devicearound the region to be compressed, in this embodiment, the clip 14 isattached to the tube 13 at an appropriate position along the length ofit. The circumferential length of the region to be compressed ismeasured first, and the clip 14 is attached to the tube 13 at theposition to delimit the range into which the gas is introduced only tothe length generally equal to the circumferential length of the regionto be compressed. After the clip 14 is attached, the tube 13 is insertedback into the main belt 10. The muscle strength increasing device inthis state is shown in FIG. 10A.

Next, the end of the longer portion 11 of the main belt 10 extending inone direction from where the tie-down belt 20 is attached is passedthrough the opening formed by the belt 12A. The muscle strengthincreasing device in this state is shown in FIG. 10B. The main belt 10forms a loop now. The circumferential length of the loop is slightlylonger than the circumferential length of the region to be compressed onwhich the muscle strength increasing device is rest.

Then, the end of the tie-down belt 20 is slipped through the spaceinside the ring 11A and the belt is turned right back. The musclestrength increasing device in this state is shown in FIG. 10C.

The arm or the leg of a person who uses the pressure muscle training ispassed so that the region to be compressed falls inside the loop formedby the main belt 10 in the state shown in FIG. 10B or 10C.

In this state, when the end of the tie-down belt 20 is pulled, the belt12A moves to reduce the circumferential length of the loop formed by themain belt 10. The main belt 10 is thus placed around the region to becompressed without any gap. The muscle strength increasing device inthis state is shown in FIG. 10D.

The tie-down belt 20 is pulled and the two-dimensional fastener 21 onthe tie-down belt 20 is engaged with the two-dimensional fastener 16 onthe main belt 10. This holds the muscle strength increasing devicearound the region to be compressed. The muscle strength increasingdevice in this state is shown in FIG. 10E.

After the arm or the leg of a person who uses the pressure muscletraining is passed so that the region to be compressed falls inside theloop formed by the main belt 10, the muscle strength increasing devicerequires only to pull and tie the tie-down belt 20. This can be madewith a single hand. In addition, the muscle strength increasing devicedoes not turn around the region to be compressed. Therefore, the musclestrength increasing device is easy to be tied around the region to becompressed.

In this state, the gas is introduced into the tube 13 by using a pump(not shown). The tube 13 then inflates and compresses the region to becompressed in an appropriate manner.

A person who uses the pressure muscle training may do exercises or keeprest to achieve the pressure muscle training.

It should be noted that when a person who cannot tie by himself orherself the muscle strength increasing device around the region to becompressed due to, for example, being confined to bed uses the musclestrength increasing device, the main belt 10 of the muscle strengthincreasing device in the state shown in FIG. 10A is directly wrappedaround the region to be compressed and then the aforementionedprocedures follow. This allows to tie the muscle strength increasingdevice around the region to be compressed.

1. A muscle strength increasing device used for developing muscles byapplying a predetermined compression pressure to a predetermined regionto be compressed that is defined on at least one of the limbs of awearer to restrict the blood flow through the limb, the muscle strengthincreasing device comprising: a strip-shaped first band having a firsthollow space formed therein at one end thereof; a strip-shaped secondband the proximal end of which is connected to the proximal end of saidfirst band, the second band having a second hollow space formed thereinat a position near the end thereof through which the end of said firstband can be passed; and a strip-shaped third band the proximal end ofwhich is connected to the outer surface that is opposed to said regionto be compressed when said region to be compressed is passed through aloop formed by said first and second bands by means of passing the endof said first band through said second hollow space of the proximal endof said first band, the end of the third band being formed so that itcan pass through said first hollow space, at least said first band ofsaid first band and said second band having an air-tight hollow tubealong the length thereof in order to receive a gas from outside, saidfirst band and said third band being configured in such a manner thatsaid third band can be attached to the outer surface of said first bandafter the end of said third band is passed through said first hollowspace and turned right back.
 2. The muscle strength increasing device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said first band and said second band areformed as an integral part.
 3. The muscle strength increasing device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said first band is formed into a hollow bagand said tube is provided within said first band.
 4. The muscle strengthincreasing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first bandand said second band is formed into a hollow bag and said tube isprovided within at least said first band of said first band and saidsecond band.
 5. The muscle strength increasing device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said second hollow space is formed by providing a loopwith a flexible, rope-like or belt-like material at the end of saidsecond band.
 6. The muscle strength increasing device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said second hollow space is formed by opening a spacein said second band at the end thereof.
 7. The muscle strengthincreasing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is designedto automatically inflate in the direction facing to said region to becompressed when it is filled with a gas while said third band isfastened to the outer surface of said first band.